William IV of Albionnia
William IV '(William Henry; born 24 July 1689) is the current Emperor of Albionnia. Born during the reign of his grandfather, Emperor James II, William's mother eventually succeeded her father, sister, and brother-in-law as Empress Anne, alongside her consort, Prince George of Denmark and Norway. William was proclaimed Duke of Gloucester by the king. William is the fourth emperor by his name, and has reigned since the death of his mother in 1714. His heir apparent is his son, James, known as the Prince of Wales. Early Life William was born in the summer of 1689, during the reign of his grandfather. The date was 24 July 1689. Upon his birth, his grandfather proclaimed him to be Duke of Gloucester, a title he'd retain until his mother's ascension to the throne in 1702. William was a sickly child, which was expected due to the issues his mother faced with each of her many pregnancies. However, it is as if, by some miracle, William retained what solid health he had and survived infancy, and childhood. Tutored by only the finest tutors, William excelled in foreign languages, and literary studies. William was known to be an excellent harpsichordist and cellist, performing in front of court during multiple social functions in his youth. From 1701 to 1703, William studied abroad in Hanover with a private tutor and began learning courtly etiquette, being groomed to be heir. He briefly studied in France in 1706 as well. Prince of Wales Upon his mother's ascension in 1702, William was prepared to be created Prince of Wales. On April 5, 1703, William was formally created Prince of Wales by his mother, Empress Anne. A suitable bride was the top priority for the young William, who was the only surviving son of Empress Anne. Man candidates from Spain to Italy and anywhere in between were discussed. The empress finally decided on Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The engagement was announced on March 5, 1707. Elisabeth arrived in Albionnia on September 19, 1708, and was prepared for Albionnian court life. The Prince of Wales married Elisabeth Christine on 4 March 1708. The couple were wed at Westminster Abbey in London at noon. A lavish affair, the reception was held at St. James's Palace in the couple's honor. The following week, they were moved to a large set of connecting apartments at the palace. The Princess of Wales gave birth to an heir to the empire on 20 January 1710. He was christened as James Albert Edward, Prince of Albionnia. Additionally, in 1712 and 1713, the Princess of Wales gave birth to Princesses Elizabeth Margaret and Victoria Alberta, respectively. On 1 August 1714, the Empress passed away after a year of recurring illnesses and a stroke days prior. William was called to her rooms around 8:00 a.m., a half hour after she passed. William wrote in his journal, ''"I am utterly beside myself...Albionnia mourns, my family mourns, I mourn. The light in my life has been dimmed, my sense of purpose elevated as I am to be thrusted into a monarchy, the light of the expectant public." Reign '''Ascension & Coronation William officially ascended the throne upon his mother's death on 1 August 1714. His first action as the new emperor was to declare an official state of mourning and to dismiss court. He relocated the royal family to Kensington Palace to mourn while the Empress' funeral was prepared. The coronation was set for 22 June 1715. The emperor and his consort were officially coronated, and a tour of the empire took place shortly thereafter. The emperor remarked that the empire was "vast and glorious", abundant with many cultures and geographical features. The Emperor, Prince of Wales, & Parliament The emperor was faced with a proposal from parliament to institute a prime minister in 1719. The emperor, in response, declared that a prime minister was superfluous to the government between the monarch and parliament. After months of battling, the emperor finally instituted the first prime minister, who was approved by parliament in May of 1720. William chose the Viscount Townshend as his prime minister. William ran a conservative government, publicly discarding liberal ideals, casting them aside as "far too progressive" in his opinions. His son, however, the Prince of Wales, was known to be the opposite of his father. In 1731, at the young age of twenty-one, began openly campaigning for a new prime minister to be instituted, or some form of term limit. The emperor was outraged, and thus began the bitter rivalry between father and son. Policies & Foreign Affairs On 7 October 1731, the emperor dissolved his imperial cabinet, and formed a new cabinet. He believed that with the modernizing of parliament, he needed ready souls to aide him in combatting progressive ideals from shrouding the nation. In the meantime, the empress formed the Ladies' League of London (LLL), which began campaigning for conservative ideals of the emperor's government. This led to further strain between the imperials and the Prince of Wales, who was sent as an ambassador to Baltica to lessen his influence at court. As emperor, William was known for his just policies and conservative ideals. He ran court with a gentle yet firm disposition, and was internationally recognized as the epitome of class and power. In his later reign, he was known for his upholding of many traditions, which is where he clashed with his son. The emperor exercised great caution with foreign affairs. He was known to intimidate other countries, being very particular with whom he allied or married into. Parliament often struggled with the line of succession due to William's foreign descendants constantly having more children or passing on. He established the Succession Act of 1752, which stated that all men of the Oldenburg dynasty would inherit first through each male line, then any women, then males of a different dynasty, women of a different dynasty, foreign males, and finally, foreign females. All of these heirs must not be Catholic or they were barred from succession. In the very rare occasion that a succession crisis were to occur, Parliament would vote on a new heir, preferably (but not limited to) a house related to the Oldenburg monarchs by blood, such as Stuart or Orange-Nassau (princes of the blood). Death of the Prince of Wales On 5 June 1770, the Prince of Wales was assassinated while speaking at an anti-parliament rally in London. He was rushed to the palace, dying, and was surrounded by court. The emperor, while publicly seemed cold and relieved, was rather melancholy following Wales' death, but due to the strain of their relationship, and his pride, he kept a stone-cold composure. The emperor's heir apparent was William, the Duke of Sussex and eventual Prince of Wales, whom he adored and was very alike with political agendas and ideals. Ancestry Titles, Styles, Arms, & Honors Titles & Styles His Imperial Highness, The Duke of Gloucester ''(24 July 1689 - 5 April 1713) ''His Imperial Highess, The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Chester, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland ''(5 April 1713 - 1 August 1714) ''His Imperial Majesty, The Emperor of Albionnia,'' King of England, King of Scotland, King of Ireland, King of the Netherlands (1 August 1714 - Present) '''Arms' William IV's coat of arms was adopted in 1714 upon his ascension to the throne of the Empire of Albionnia. The coat of arms features the English coat of arms used by the Stuarts, with the Oldenburg arms combined onto the coat of arms. Honors ''Order of the Knight of the Garter ''(5 April 1713 - Present) ''Order of Emperor William ''(15 July 1722 - Present) ''Order of the Bath ''(18 May 1725 - Present)